One important aspect in building a successful career is the professional network you establish along the way. As you take on several jobs during your working life, you have the opportunity of meeting and knowing other professionals and colleagues that can become part of your professional network. Your network becomes your lifeline towards improving your career. You can use it to know about other job opportunities.

Your professional network can also be a means to gather valuable insight and ideas pertaining to certain work-related tasks, your life goals, or even with problems you face that go beyond the professional realm. How you nurture and develop the right network is therefore, important. Here are some important tips on how to do it.

Variety is important.
When you build up a network, you just do not focus on getting to know managers, bosses and top-level management. You need to build up a varied network of professionals. This includes taking time to know other colleagues of your level or even below. You can even include people outside of your industry of choice. A varied network of colleagues can help you make it more valuable and useful in the long term.

Increase your value and worth as a resource.
Just as you have your professional network, you are also a part of other people’s networks. And since people also judge value of their professional networks based on experience, expertise and employment designation, you also need to make yourself a valuable part of their network. The best way to do this is by increasing your value by adding skills and abilities. This way, you can easily become a valuable part of someone else’s network.

Nurture and build relationships in your network.
Your professional network will be more relevant to you if you build relationships with your connections. The more you know each other, the better your connections become. Try to stay in touch with them all the time, not just when you need something from them. Do also your part to contribute and provide help whenever you can.